Power Struggle
by ligeisa
Summary: Chloe King goes on a road trip to Los Angeles to meet none other than the big leaders. She tries to deal with the issues that comes with becoming the Uniter; relationship with the humans, politics and her growing attraction for Alek. Alek/Chloe
1. Chapter 1

_Not my first fic but my first for Nine Lives. I wasn't planning on writing for it but this just came into my head. I have no idea where this will lead to and hopefully this will turn out to be the first fiction that I will finish. I have NEVER finished a fiction before to keep your fingers crossed. If I don't finished before the end of summer, no chance in hell but I won't have internet connection for a few weeks (unfortunately for you guys) so no updates until I get back. _

Things I've learned so far the last few days:

Avoid sitting next to Alek on a long road trip (and absolutely _do not _wake him)

When you tell mom that you'll text her every day, make sure you do or else she _will _panic and alert the police.

L.A. traffic sucks. Especially when you're in a compact car with a grumpy Valentina and a very hungry Jasmin.

I used to think that my first time to Los Angeles would be with my mom or with Amy and Brian and would most likely involve shopping (more like window shopping) on Rodeo Drive, go to Disneyland and wait in line for a ridiculous two hours to get on a friggin' Dumbo ride, and go celebrity sighting in hopes of getting a glimpse of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Never would I have imagined that I would be here to meet the leaders of the Mai pride, the big bosses, the Big Brother… well, of California. But still, just a few months ago, nothing like this had existed in my mind and just in a span of a few weeks, I've been killed, assaulted, and bombarded with information that was just completely unreal.

"We've arrived," Valentina announced.

I breathed a sigh of relief. Being stuck at the backseat of the car, sandwiched between Jasmin and Alek, definitely did _not_ make my day. I scrambled out of the car, rather ungracefully I might add, ducking to ensure that my head clears the top of the door. I've gotten too much shit from Alek about that the first time around and I'm not going to repeat the same episode. Sunlight struck my face, making my eyes squint against the strong rays and yet again, I was amazed by the grandeur and wealth of the Mai – boy, they _are _doing well.

"Valetina, I can't afford _this,_" I said, breathless.

"Don't worry, Chloe. All your expenses are covered by the "company"," Valentina replied.

"Company" was the new codename for the Mai. I gulped, anxiety started to crawl back in and I started getting jittery. Two doormen held the doors ushered us into the lobby. Definitely a 6-star hotel. Plasma TV's lined the walls, velvet cushions, orchid flowers and many important looking people milled around in the reception area.

The receptionist quickly checked us in and handed us our room keys. The bellboys were already informed of our room numbers and had already dropped off our luggage outside the doors when we arrived there. According to Jasmin, the whole floor was booked out by the Mai to ensure privacy. I quickly swiped in the room key and swung open the door.

"I _definitely _can't afford _this,_" I repeated again, astonished.

"The company certainly does want to win the Uniter's favour, but I think they'll just end up spoiling you."

I turn to face Alek with his back leaning against the corner of the hallway, hands in his pocket and that incredibly irritating smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes at him and pressed my lips together in a smile as I surveyed my surroundings.

"I think I can get used to this," I eyed him, "but there's no way that you're getting a "come-in-anytime" invite."

By the time I turned around to face him, he's already cornered me against the wall. I blinked at the proximity.

"Are you sure? I'm quite hard to resist you know," he growled. I tried hard to keep a straight face and closed the small gap between us, gently grasping his shoulders.

"I'm sure," I whispered into his ear before pushing him away gently. He chuckled, ran his hand through his hair, and lent against wall next to me. I slid by back down the wall to sit on the floor and he followed suit.

After a while, the previously awkward, seductive moments started to become sort of an inside joke between us – that's what sort of happens after having him as a personal bodyguard at all hours for two weeks. Valentina has been a little bit too paranoid and overprotective after the last Scarface attack and assigned Alek to make sure I keep out of trouble. That was already his implicated job but now it was explicitly assigned. Unfortunately for me, or fortunately, from Amy's perspective, this gave him more of an excuse to mess with me (not that he needed one in the first place). It's still awkward sometimes because I get the feeling that he's pretty serious about it but I just shrug it off as my imagination wandering off with me. I refuse to fall under the cliché teenage girl category and crush over the hot high school jock with a British accent… and I already have Brian to worry about too.

I turn to face him, the side of my head pressed against the wall. He glanced toward my direction but refused to hold the gaze.

"Have you met them before?" I asked him.

"Who? You mean the big bosses?" He asked me, smirking, and looked at me from the corner of his eye. I nodded. I guess he saw that I was a bit intimidated or scared or something because he softened up. He relaxed his stance and let out something that sounded like a sigh.

"Um… some of them I have," he turned to face me and ran his hand through his hair, "They aren't all scary and intimidating you know. They won't try to scare you off or anything, you _are _the Uniter."

He turned back to face the front.

"There's a lot of internal politics going on," he continued, "They're trying to win your favour and hopefully relocate you to their area. Everyone has different plans for you, different ideas on what you should do. Not all of them are as open-minded as Valentina. I just thought you should know."

I turned back as well and closed my eyes. It was just a little overwhelming, having the fate of the Mai depend on everything I do. I focused on keeping my breathing even and regular – in, out, in, out. Subconsciously, I tuned into Alek's steady heartbeat. It's really become a habit of mine, one that I've desperately tried to shake off but really, old habits do die hard. When I opened my eyes again, I caught him staring. I smiled, reassuring him that I was fine with all this. After a brief pause, I nudged him playfully and got up on my feet, dusting off my shirt and regained my posture.

"I really gotta unpack now, so if you don't mind-" I gestured dramatically to the door. He looked like he was about to protest but thankfully obliged and headed out the door.

_Just an intro, hope you liked it. Unfortunately, this is where it ended in my head so I hope you are all satisfied with the length of this first chapter. I wrote this actually before watching today's episode (I thought I was adding a new twist in the story) but sadly, the writers already beat me to it. Review please _


	2. Chapter 2

_Ah! Okay, a treat for all my reviewers (Cuz I love you all) and the rest of you, really? 200+ hits but only 8 reviews. Shame, shame, you lazy people – stop favouriting and story alerting without reviewing! Well I'm not one to insist on reviews before updating so since I'm going on a break for a few weeks, I've decided to update early… yes, incredibly early. Enjoy and please, please review. Story favourites and story alerts don't show up on my stats, only number of reviews does. _

'7:00 AM', the red lights blinked at me as I peered at the digital clock through groggy eyes. I was roused from sleep by an incredibly irritating and incessant beeping noise. It's still going and I am too stiff to reach out and hit the snooze button.

I definitely did not set that alarm. Yeah, no that wasn't me.

I buried my head into one of the down-filled pillows in hopes of muffling out the noise. A sharp rapping noise came from the door.

"Chloe?"

I could recognize Jasmin's voice. Maybe if I ignore her she'll go away.

"Chloe, are you awake?"

Not going away… Then I hear the little chime and the door creaked open. I groaned and tried to hide myself in the massive duvet.

"Chloe!" Jasmin chided disapprovingly from the hallway.

"Gwo arway," I muttered into the pillows. Then I hear a masculine chuckle from behind Jasmin. Instinctively, I grabbed the closest pillow and hurled it at the direction. It thudded dully against something and that something had grunted.

"Bloody hell, even without looking," Alek muttered under his breath. I smiled victoriously into the pillow.

"Definitely not a morning person," he stated.

"I'm a nocturnal animal! Now go away!" I proclaimed and tried futilely to get back to sleep. Another deep chuckle. At this point I guess Jasmin has had enough of banter and had proceeded to pull off the sheets from the bed.

"Jaaaasssmiiiiinnn," I whined in protest, "It's 7 in the morning!"

"Precisely, the introductory conference starts in an hour and you're not even up yet!" Jasmin said and is now in the process of trying to yank my arm out of its socket.

At this I shot up from my bed.

"_What _conference? No one told me about a conference," I stared at her wide-eyed and back at Alek, who was trying to stifle another laugh.

"Alek was supposed to-"

"Supposed to what?"

"Supposed to tell you about it yesterday…"

Jasmin glared at her cousin.

"You didn't…"

Alek's face exploded into a mischievous grin.

"I _did _set her alarm for her."

I chucked another pillow at his head, but unfortunately he was already prepared for it and dodged the oncoming bullet.

After shooing Alek from the room and with a little help from Jasmin, I was all set in under thirty minutes. At least I looked presentable. I examined myself on the full-length mirror. Honestly, I had no idea how to dress for a business conference. Thank God for Jasmin.

"All set," I announced. Jasmin nodded approvingly at my outfit and we headed to the conference room. Luckily we managed to grab a few croissants from the lounge to quell my grumbling stomach.

When we reached the doorway, Jasmin stopped and gestured me to continue inside. I shot her a confused look.

"You're not coming in with me?" I asked meekly, shooting an uncertain glace at the doorway. That's when I notice that she's just wearing jeans and a top. She just shook her head.

"Don't worry, everything will be _fine_. Just be yourself. They just want to meet the Uniter," she said reassuringly, looking me squarely in the eye. I gulped and nodded. All I could think was, '_What if they don't like what they meet?' _

"Are you ready?" A familiar British accented voice murmurred into my ear. I turned around and furrowed my eyebrows.

"You're coming?"

"Yeah but I'll explain later," Alek replied. I nodded and he opened the door for me. Everyone in the conference room was already looking at the doorway at which we entered. No shit Sherlock, they're all Mai, they could hear everything we said. I mentally face-palmed myself. I was guessing that it was sort of a pre-conference coffee morning or something because everyone was just standing around, socializing with a cup of tea or coffee in their hand.

Alek placed his hand at the small of my back and guided me across the room to Valentina. Under normal circumstances, I would have objected to the intimacy but I was still in shell shock and was grateful that someone knew what to do.

Valentina seemed to already be in deep conversation with whom I assumed to be, or who would be considered as the state chairman of the Mai. When she saw us, she immediately ended her conversation, excusing herself and made her way towards our direction.

"I can get you a coffee or tea if you want, Clo," Alek offered. I barely registered how out of character this was for him. I guess he was a British gentleman at heart after all. I just shook my head nervously. I was already jittery, a shot of caffeine definitely wasn't a good way to soothe my nerves.

"I'm fine thanks," I said softly, my eyes switching back and forth between Valentina and the other man in the suit. She nodded at Alek, almost as a cue to leave us. He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly as he was about to leave.

"Don't be so tense, Clo. Relax a bit will you?" He whispered into my ear. The corner of my mouth involuntarily turned upwards.

"Chloe," Valentina spread out an arm, gesturing for me to approach her. She wrapped it around my shoulders and steered me towards the chairman's direction.

"Chloe, this is Gregor Djokovic, the leader of the Mai in California."

I shook his hand. '_Firm handshake, eye contact, and smile,' _I reminded myself.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Djokovic," I said, trying to sound sincere.

He gave me a tightlipped smile and a nod of acknowledgement.

"Pleasure," he said briefly with a hint of a European accent, Russian I suppose.

"Are you satisfied with your accommodations?" He asked me, trying to sound civil.

"Yes, sir. Very much so," I replied quickly, blushing a little, "You really didn't have to get me the suite."

"You are the Uniter and the pride _will _take care of you to the best of our abilities."

With that he shot a look at Valentina's direction, obviously implying something. If Valentina picked it up, she didn't dare acknowledge it. She held his gaze just as firmly and replied,

"I can assure you, Gregor, that Chloe is getting the best care under our supervision at San Francisco."

He cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. Just then, a young man came up beside him, handed him a cup of coffee. Djokovic just nodded in acknowledgement. The young man stuck out a hand at me.

"My name is Peter Yeltchev. I'm Mr. Djokovic's assistant," he said with a warm smile.

I shook his hand willingly. He seemed pleasant and he was quite handsome too, I noted. He had a tall, lean, toned body and his brown curly hair was cut short but it still had that very boyish appearance.

"Chloe King," I introduced myself. I could feel surprise and shock radiating from his body. The only external indication was the brief flash of recognition in his eyes, which dissipated almost immediately.

"The Uniter. Honor meeting you," He almost bowed but I stopped him before he did. I would have burst out laughing if it wasn't such a tense moment.

"No, no please don't bow. I'm really just another typical teenage… _Mai_. Please call me Chloe," I said hurriedly.

I ducked his head and smiled sheepishly. I heard him mutter an apology. Mr. Djokovic gave me a hard smile but Valentina had a proud smirk on her face. I could hear Alek chuckling in the background. She lightly placed her hand around my shoulders again.

"Now if you will excuse us," She said, giving a nod in both their directions.

"Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Djokovic and-,"

"Peter," he interrupted me and gave me a charming smile.

"Peter," I repeated and smiled back. I shook both their hands again,

" I look forward to hearing more about you and your insights into the current situation, Uniter," Djokovic stated. I gave him a brief smile before Valentina lead me away into the crowd.

"We're in the process of changing hands and Djokovic is the temporary leader of the California pride before the elections," she explained to me, meeting my eye, "That's one of the other purposes for this conference. Firstly, to meet the Uniter and secondly, to go into discussion and debate on who should be the new elected leader."

"Are there many other nominees or candidates on the list?"

"Only leaders of prides that have ties to the Sacramento pride are considered."

I turned to face her. "So _you're _on the list of potentials to be the leader of California?"

"Yes," she said, a little amused. I gaped at her.

"They look at all our accomplishments over the past few years and what we have achieved. Not only are our credentials assessed but how much our viewpoint is favoured. It's comparable to the democratic elections here," she continued, "They will all try to win your favour. The vote of the Uniter weighs much heavier than any of ours."

I gulped and nodded. My eyes travelled around the room until I met Alek's gaze. He started to weave out of the crowd and towards where we were standing.

"Why is Alek here and Jasmin not?" I ask, trying to change the subject.

"Alek's father was the leader of the San Jose pride-"

"When they died, the responsibility passed onto me," he finished for her, "I'm too young to gain full power so my elder cousin, the next in line after me, has assumed temporary position of the leader but I'm still the 'spokesperson' for my pride."

"So it works a little bit like royalty, a monarchial structure," I concluded. I accepted the cup of tea that Alek held out and took a sip.

He snaked his arm around my waist and whispered teasingly in my ear, "You can always be my princess if you'd like."

I smiled into my cup and gave him a sharp elbow to the rib. Valentina attempted to hide a smile; she was already used to our playful banter. Alek feigned hurt and dropped his hand from my waist.

"Chloe, let's go introduce ourselves to the other members of the committee," Valentina gestured towards the crowd. I placed down the cup of tea on the nearby table and gave a small smile to Alek before following Valentina out.

We met a few people, no, well, that was a lie. We met _a lot _of people. After a while, their names just started to blur together – most of them Russian, some of them Czech, American, Swiss… I honestly don't really know. Thank God for the name cards. Valentina excused herself to go to the washroom and I was left to my own devices. Mr. Djokovic's assistant approached me. I smiled back at him as he greeted me.

"How are you liking the conference," he asked in an attempt to make small talk.

"It's overwhelming," I replied honestly. He chuckled and ruffled his hair.

"Yeah, when I first started working for Mr. Djokovic, it was a little… overwhelming, you could say."

I turned to face him, just registering the fact that I could sense he was nervous. That I could literally _feel _that he was nervous.

"You're human aren't you?"

_E-gasp, you didn't see that coming did you? I realized that the first chapter was a little bit substance-less so here I attempted to make it more substance-ful. And yes those are made up words. I know that the Mai are sort of an endangered species so to speak but I imagine that California would have one of the greatest number of Mai, along side New York because of all the immigrants. _

_Reviews makes me ha-ppy. _


	3. Chapter 3

_Just some background stuff for you guys, I had this all planned in my head but had no way of executing it. So I had in mind that Alek's parents were from Russia and after the Order had taken hold over the country, they fled to America, establishing themselves as head of the pride in San Diego. Alek, for his own safety, was sent off to boarding school in England and it was only after his parents died that he was relocated back to San Francisco to live with Valentina. Okay, so there's that out there. I know it caused some confusion in the last chapter but that's just to clear things up. I could incorporate this sometime in the story but it seems unlikely at this point. Before continuing on with the story, I just wanted to thank all you guys for flocking to this fiction and continuing to read the second chapter. I've actually never gotten this much volume of hits on a story before. _

_Special thanks to all my reviewers out there, you are so amazing guys, thank you and love you all. I know it's bothersome to review but it's actually a really big ego boost and gives me that extra motivation to write more. So on with the story…_

"You're human, aren't you?"

He nodded sheepishly, scratching his head. The questions were reeling in my mind. Why was he working as the assistant to the temporary leader of the Mai? Do the others know he's human? How did he find out about the Mai in the first place?

"How many know?" I asked in a low voice.

"Not many, only the elite members of the pride. Most of the Mai here know I'm human but it's still not a good idea to spread the word since-"

"You're the leader's assistant and if _they _find out, they'll be more likely to target you," I finished for him, "I get it. My lips are sealed."

"Thanks."

A comfortable silence passed between us. I had so many more questions but I felt it rude to ask them all at the same time. He turned to me. His intense green eyes bore into mine.

"I'm curious but how did you know? It's not like-"

"Mai have Mai-radars attached to them," I finished off. We laughed.

"Um, well I can kind of feel what humans are feeling," I attempted to explain to him, unsure at how to express myself clearly enough.

"An empath in our midst. I thought that ability has long been extinct," he stated, more to himself though than to me.

"So you know your Mai history. Do you have Mai fact cards that I can borrow sometime," I joked. It was rather lame, I know but it really did sound better in my head. He chuckled anyway.

"Being an assistant to the leader of the Mai, or well the temporary leader of the Mai, you're bound to pick up a few things."

"So what other things can you tell me?" I lent in closer, mostly out of curiosity. Mostly. Partly because I knew that Alek's eyes were trained on us and he was completely tuned into the conversation.

"Nothing that I can disclose to you freely, Uniter," he replied coyly and appeared start to lean in closer. It may have just been my imagination though but Alek intervened before it could come to anything. He cleared his throat.

"Alek Petrov," he introduced himself.

"Peter Yeltchev."

They clasped hands in a firm handshake. To me it was more of a show of dominance and power than anything else. Their knuckles whitened and their smiles seemed too plastic to be sincere.

"It was nice seeing you again, Peter, but I think Alek and I have to excuse ourselves," I said, interrupting their little male dominance display. They each let go of the other's hand but didn't break away their gaze.

"I guess, I'll see you around, Chloe," Peter said, a little uncertainly. I gave him a small wave before leaving with Alek. When we were far enough away, I turned abruptly to face him and his arrogant little smirk.

"What was _that?"_ I insisted. I would have stopped before anything happened, if anything was going to happen, but still, the fact that Alek felt like he had to come to my rescue was a bit too much. I get that he's my protector and all but he has to remember that I _can _protect myself and make rational decisions.

"What was what?"

"Trying to play innocent are we now? You know what you did."

I suppose I was testing him a little, see if he overheard that part of the conversation – the one where he disclosed that he was a human. He snorted.

"Well, there's one problem with him, Clo," he mused. Shit, the game's up.

"He's older than you, probably like 8 years your senior."

At this point, I knew I couldn't tell him that Peter was_ actually _human nor could I ask him anything concerning that topic. I guess I have to ask Valentina about that. A mischievous smile crept up on my face as it suddenly dawned on me.

"Were you _jealous_?"

Alek simply rolled his eyes at me, trying to act nonchalant.

"That would be silly, Chloe," he said, looking at me directly in the eye, "because I know you're already mine."

With that he walked away before I could react.

"I'm _not _yours," I muttered under my breath and stalked off in the other direction.

* * *

><p>The dial tone rang for a few more seconds before going directly to voice mail… again. I've been trying to reach her for the last three hours, unsuccessfully may I add.<p>

"Hi this is Amy, sorry I didn't make your call. Please leave your name and number after the beep."

"Hi Amy, this is Chloe. I'm pretty sure I don't have to leave you my number _again_. So give me a ring after you get this."

I flopped back onto my bed and decided to call mom.

"Hey, sweetie. How's everything going? Is the hotel nice? Did you get to see any universities today?"

I couldn't really tell her that I was meeting the leaders of the Mai, so I had to cover it up by saying that I was going university sighting with Jasmin and Alek.

"Everything's fine. The hotels really nice, I'm on my _king size bed. _We got to pass by UCLA today. It was nice, I got to talk to some of the students but the school's much too big for me. I don't think I want to be in a large city again for college," I lied smoothly. I hate how easy lying has come to me lately.

"Well, I hope no one else is on that king sized bed of yours," she replied half-jokingly.

"Mo-om," I whined, trying to suppress the awkward memory.

"Well, it's nice to finally hear from you, sweetie, without needing to call the police."

"Come on, mom. You're being so paranoid," I chided gently, adjusting to a cross-legged position.

"You brought it on yourself, sweetie and it's just a mother's job to worry about her baby. Well, I don't want to take up anymore of your precious time, call tomorrow or whenever you get the chance."

"Alright, mom."

"Have fun and love you."

"Already implied."

Once she hung up, I let out a sigh. I hate lying to mom, even though I know it's for her own safety – the less she knows, the better. I twirled the wireless phone in my hand before returning it to its cradle. It's only 3:00 pm and I've got nothing to do. The conference begins tomorrow; apparently more officials are flying over from overseas and are due to be back tonight. I slid out of bed. Maybe I'll head over to Jasmin's room, see what she's up to.

I closed the door behind me, mentally ticking off that I had remembered to bring my room key. I had just reached Jasmin and Valentina's suite when I suddenly heard yelling from inside the room but before I could even knock, the door swung open and Alek stomped out. Through the doorway, I could see Valentina fuming. Jasmin and I exchanged worried looks. 'Go find him', she mouthed as she closed the door but by the time I turned around, he was already gone.

I checked downstairs at the bar, in the lounge, and in the gym – the most likely places he would go to cool off. It was already getting dark when I opened the door to the roof. I saw a couple employees smoking, looking out at the cityscape and Alek, leaning against the railing separating him from the ledge.

"Figured you'd be here. You always did have a thing for rooftops," I said as I came up from behind him. He turned his head slightly for a moment and resumed his former stance without replying. I leant against the railing next to him.

"So want to tell me what's wrong?" I asked softly.

"Just leave," he replied gruffly, turning his head away from me.

"No," I insisted, "Would you leave me?"

The question needn't a reply; we both knew the answer. We both stared at the blinking lights in front of us, the large expanse of city lights and rolling hills behind. The sun was just setting, turning the sky into a whirlpool of reds and oranges as it started to disappear slowly behind the hills.

"Valentina wants me to move back to San Diego, to start reconnecting the ties with the pride," he mumbled as he tried to scratch the imaginary dirt from the rail.

"What?" I gasped in disbelief.

"When I refused, she threatened to retract my welcome from her pride." I was now overwhelmed with emotion – a mix of disbelief and fury. How could Valentina even say that? A breeze swept past us, I shivered at the sudden shock of cold. Before I could refuse, Alek had already wrapped his jacket around my shoulders.

"She can't do that! I mean you're my protector," I exclaimed. He turned to me, a little hurt.

"Is that all you think of me as?"

"You're my friend," I whispered, lowering my eyes guiltily. I felt fingers lift up my chin, forcing me to look at him.

"Is that all?" I whispered as he leant in closer. My mind started to blur, I was panicking inside, I didn't know what to do – I didn't know what I wanted. He was so close, I could feel his breath on my lips.

"Alek," I pleaded softly, "Please, stop." He pulled away, I could tell that he was hurt but he quickly masked it. He gave me a quick kiss on my cheek before whispering good night and quickly left to go inside. I buried my head in my hands. All I could think of was what would have happened if I let him, if I wanted it to happen, what would Brian say… Brian, he's cute, smart, funny and all around perfect, besides the fact that he was human. I really like him but Alek, he's my protector, my friend – I don't know if I would risk our current relationship when I don't even know my own feelings. I was so confused. My head started hurting and I felt nauseous. I took a deep breath of the cool, night air to calm myself down.

"Anything the matter, Chloe?" A concerned voice asked from behind me. I turned around to find Peter, with a cigarette in his hand. He offered it to me but I refused politely.

"Just… personal problems," I replied.

"Your boyfriend?"

"No," I said a little too quickly.

"You guys look… close," he said, leaning against the railing where Alek was a moment ago. I gulped.

"We are," I hesitated, "were."

He nodded in understanding, taking a drag from his cigarette and exhaling a cloud of smoke in its wake. I resisted the urge to scrunch up my nose. My heightened sense could smell the intense, sharp smell of the grey smog.

"Listen," he said turning to me, "we're having a party later tonight, after work, just me and few other Mai. I was wondering whether you'd come along."

"Um… you know that I'm only sixteen right?" I hesitated, looking at him sideways. He laughed.

"Age doesn't matter to the Mai, the Uniter is always welcome. So will you come?"

"Sure," immediately regretting the decision.

"Good, well I'll leave you to get ready and I'll pick you up at the suite at around 8 if that's okay."

"Yeah, that's fine…"

He gave me a dashing smile before leaving. I uncertainly made my way back to the hotel.

_Ah, so yeah, I realized that I do have Internet in London, so this is a very rushed chapter for all you guys as a treat and to make up for the next two weeks that I'll be missing. Hope you liked it. It didn't exactly go the way I planned to when I wrote it so what do you think? Look forward to much more intense storylines; betrayal, tension and possibly a murder – we'll see where this takes us – you and me both. Please review if you like, especially if you favourite this story! I doubt that I can get another chapter up by tomorrow though so you'll all have to wait and find out what happens. Oh and I do reply to reviews, not all, but some. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey guys, I found a hotspot luckily so I've just uploaded the new chapter __J__ Sorry for any typos or grammatical errors, I didn't proofread before publishing. _

Standing outside of Jasmin and Valentina's door, I wasn't sure what to do. Do I knock or do I just walk in? I wanted to be safe so I knocked quietly on the door. Not long after, Jasmin opened the door for me.

"Did you find him?" Jasmin asked worriedly. I nodded my head but refused to explain anymore.

"Did he tell you what happened?"

"Yes, can I speak with Valentina?"

"Yes, Chloe, I'm here." Valentina emerged from her bedroom, elegant as always. A silken kimono robe trailed on the floor as she strode over to greet me.

"How could you ask him to leave like that? How could you _threaten _him with the withdrawal of your welcome?" I insisted, my voice anger with the flare of my anger. I could feel my mind going numb and my face growing flushed and hot.

"Chloe, it's for your own good," she said calmly, as if it was all self-explanatory.

"How is it for my own good? He's my protector!"

"And you can have another one, there are many Mai out there more than willing to become one of your protectors – many just as strong and brave as Alek-"

"He's my _friend _and I trust him more than anything. I can't say that about a lot of people and I think that's what counts most, _especially_ as a protector," I interrupted, my claws extending instinctively.

"Chloe-" Jasmin warned. I retracted them slowly.

"You're very defensive when it comes to Alek," Valentina observed, circling around where I stood, unfazed by my threatening stance, "and I think he is very protective over you too, Chloe. He is very attached to you and that's what concerns me. If that relationship becomes something more than friendship, he will be putting you more at risk of death. You'd feel the need to save his only life in the place of one of yours and as you know, one of yours is worth immensely more than any of ours."

"Then you'll just have to trust me if it comes to that because I am _not _going to accept another protector to replace Alek," I concluded firmly and stalked out of the apartment. Tomorrow I'll probably face the consequences and get some sort of lecturing from either Jasmin or Valentina but right now, I really couldn't give a shit anymore.

I quickly swiped my cardkey and shut the door behind me. I leant against the doorframe. '_Calm down,' _I told myself. Breathe in, out, in, out yet I was searching for something that was missing and gone. I averted my focus to my own heartbeat but it was still different, I could hear the blood rushing in my veins, the throb in the nape of my neck and the echoing in my ears. I opened my eyes, checked my watch.

'7:00 pm.'

I hurriedly opened my closet and pulled out a one sleeved, short, white, sequined dress, bought for an occasion just like this. Actually Amy had picked it out for me, a new arrival at the little boutique and she decided to buy it for me as an early birthday present. I smiled at the memory, which quickly turned into a pensive frown. She hasn't called back that was quite unlike her. I double-checked my phone for any missed calls. None. I made a mental note to text her when I get back.

I changed into the dress. It fit perfectly, hugging my curves comfortably. The dress scrunched up at one side, exposing more of my skin on one side than the other. I quickly applied some makeup in front of the bathroom mirror and slipped on a pair of black heels.

I could hear him shuffling outside the door and before he could even knock, I opened the door for him.

"Hold on, I'll just go in a grab my purse then we're all set to go," I paused for a second, remembering my manners, "You may come in if you like."

He followed me into the suite and sat on the couch. I quickly snatched my purse from the closet and stuffed my phone, credit card and some emergency cash into it.

"Alright we can go," I told him. He quickly stood and opened the door for me.

"Thank you," I said.

"I didn't get the chance to say this earlier but you look absolutely gorgeous. If I met you at a club, I wouldn't have pegged you for sixteen," he said in a low voice. I blushed and thanked him sheepishly.

"You don't look bad yourself," I complimented, suddenly noticing the button-down and dark skinny jeans he was wearing. He grinned at me and ruffled his hair.

"I wanted to look the part," he just said mysteriously.

"As what?"

"As your date." I cleared my throat. Maybe he was joking around. I simply smiled at him and tucked my hair absentmindedly behind my ear.

We walked in silence the rest of the way. We got into a cab and drove up to a nightclub. The line extended to all the way around the block.

"How are we-"

"You'll see," he interrupted me, smiling coyly. We walked up to the usher and without even taking a glance at me, let us into the club. I looked at Peter questioningly.

"The Mai are very _influential _in this part of town," he stated vaguely. I nodded, not really knowing what he meant. As he led me through the club, I felt a wave of anxiety just hit me. I realized that very likely the only person I will recognize is Peter and I came to a nightclub with someone I've only known for maybe twenty minutes. _'Way to go, Chloe'_ I thought glumly to myself. I could feel the music pulsing underneath my feet, hear the conversations of the hundreds of people in the club, a wine glass shattering, fighting in the alley, a drug deal taking place. My head starting hurting, I tuned them all out. Before I knew it, we were already in front of the booth where his friends where seated. They weren't much older than me, probably in their early twenties at the most.

"This is Catarina Raquel," he introduced, pointing to the gorgeous skinny brunette sitting closest to him. She stood and strutted over to where Peter stood. Her stiletto's clacked loudly on the marble tiles and her tight skirt accentuated the sway of her hips. Her hand gently grazed over Peter's back only to rest on his shoulder,

"So you're the Uniter. Pleasure to finally meet you," she said, her voice gliding silkily through the air. She daintily held out her hand for me to shake. I was immediately intimidated and felt quite inferior in comparison. I shook her hand politely.

"Raoul Sharon," a deep, masculine voice said as he came up beside Catarina to shake my hand. Peter shook himself from Catarina's hold and led me around, Raoul to meet the remaining two Mai.

"Nicky and Lilah, the Brazilian twins," he introduced. They both rose from their seats and strode over to us.

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Indeed it is such a pleasure."

Each had their own set of charming smiles and friendly mannerisms, but I still felt as if their demeanor was very predator-like - stalking in the shadows, waiting for their prey to get close enough for an attack. I quickly shook off the feeling as delusions by the noise and the lights. I quickly shook both of their hands and smiled. They all quickly made room for both Peter and I in the booth. I sat next to Nicky whilst Peter sat next to Catarina at the other end. Catarina continued to flirt with Peter, who seemed to not pay much mind to her.

"So, liking L.A. so far?" Nicky asked, talking a sip from her glass.

"Well enough. Haven't been out much though," I replied.

"Shame, L.A. is such a nice city. Great nightlife. Almost comparable to back in Brazil," Lilah said, nudging her twin playfully.

"Well not quite."

"Waiter," Nicky called out, trying to flag down the closest one, "can we get a Long Island Iced Tea for this one right here?" She pointed at me.

"Oooohhh, no, no, no, not for me," I refused earnestly.

"Don't be silly. Relax a little," she chided, slapping me on the arm playfully. The drink soon arrived and I took a sip to be polite. The liquid went down hard, burning my throat along the way. I sputtered and coughed, causing laughter to break out in the booth.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it." Frankly, I didn't want to. They began to make conversation amongst themselves. I couldn't really get into it, only catching a few snippets at a time and laughing whenever appropriate. I suddenly, felt a pair of eyes trained on me, looking around, I found Raoul staring at me. Honestly, it was kind of creepy; he looked at me coldly and almost calculatingly. I caught his gaze and he slowly looked away, taking a sip from his brandy.

"Come on, let's get on the dance floor and have some fun," Nicky said, pulling me towards the crowd. I obliged, almost glad to get away from the awkwardness at the table. Despite the uneasy feeling I get from the twins, they were honestly a lot more fun and easygoing than the rest of the party.

We danced for a while with each other mostly but Nicky kept straying away from our little group. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her flirting with a human – he was quite handsome with his close shaven dark hair and blue eyes. He cornered her against the bar, and instead of stopping him, she encouraged him. I watched, unable to look away from the spectacle. I could see his hands travelling up her leg, she giggled and whispered seductively into his ear. In response, he lent in to kiss her, she turned her head away so that it landed on her check rather than her lips. I let out a breath that I didn't even know I was holding.

"Hey, you seem kinda out of it," Lilah said.

"Yeah, um… it's nothing," I replied, sneaking another look at the two only to see Nikki leading him away. I didn't know what I just saw but I felt uneasy, so I excused myself, saying that I felt nauseous and had to sit down. As I made my way to the booth, weaving through the crowd, I ran into Peter.

"Oh, hey, I was just trying to find you. Do you think we could step outside for a bit and get some air," he asked me, giving me a charming smile.

"Yeah, that actually sounds perfect. It's a little chaotic," I replied, letting him take my hand and lead me out the backdoor. My head was spinning slightly, possibly from all the drinks I drank earlier on the dance floor. The chilly air greeted us as we stepped out the door. The sound of the club disappeared as the door closed behind us.

"So," he said, cornering me against the wall, forcing me to back up against it, "how are you enjoying yourself?"

"Fine," I said nervously, squirming under the intensity of his stare and the close proximity between us. My eyes darted around, already trying to find an escape.

"Well, I can always make it better," he whispered, leaning in as if to kiss me.

"Peter, stop, what are you doing? You could die!" I exclaimed, pushing him away as strongly as I could but the effort was futile. He grabbed my shoulders roughly and shoved me against the wall firmly. My head hit the brick wall. I closed my eyes tightly; I could feel his warm and moist breath on my skin. I pleaded for him to stop. His lips lightly brushed mine but I couldn't be sure because suddenly, I heard yelling and his grasp on my shoulders loosened. I opened my eyes and saw Peter being flung into the garbage bins. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and saw Alek standing over him, clutching his throat with his claws extended.

"Stop, Alek! He's human!" I cried. Alek hesitated as if he was still thinking about clawing his eyes out from their sockets. Then he threw him back onto the ground, scowling. I think he was unconscious, I wasn't sure. Alek came over and held me by my shoulders.

"Are you alright?"

I just nodded weakly and tried to get back up on my feet. My legs collapsed from under me, I was shaking violently. Alek caught me in time.

"Can you walk?"

"I don't think so," I said hoarsely, trying to push myself back up. Alek swiftly scooped me up and carried me to the nearest cab. Once in the cab, I readjusted myself on the seat so I was leaning against the door. Alek lent forward to give the address to the driver and sat back down.

"Bloody hell, Chloe. What were you thinking?" Alek muttered angrily.

"I'm sorry," I said softly, glancing in his direction. He ran his hand through his hair and looked at me. I was probably a mess with my mascara streaked down my face, my hair knotted at the back of my head and my dress ripped in several places. He sighed.

"I'm just glad you're alright."

"And I'm just glad I didn't kill someone today." I smiled at him warily.

We sat in comfortable silence throughout the cab ride. Once we arrived, Alek handed the driver a bill and helped me crawl out of the backseat. Despite my protests, he picked me up again and carried me to my hotel room. He swiped in the card key and laid me down on the bed, tucking me under the sheets.

"Thanks, Alek," I said.

"No problem, you're not _that _heavy, princess," he smirked. I was glad that he was back to his teases. I reached out and grabbed his arm before he turned and left.

"No I meant for tonight."

Pause. He came closer and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"Just don't do anything stupid next time," he whispered to me.

"I'll try not to."

_I hope it's not too cheesy guys or written too badly. I've got a ton of ideas for this story but I just have to sift through them for the most relevant ones._

_So question: What are your theories? Why do you think Peter tried to kiss Chloe? _


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, yet again. Here's another chapter for y'all and thank you guys so much for all the alerts and the reviews. They are really encouraging and thank you for all the praise. Sorry if I wasn't able to reply to some of you but because of limited Internet access I could barely get to my emails. Anyway, some of you guys were pretty close to Peter's motive to kissing Chloe. I won't reveal anything just yet, you'll just have to wait and see if you're guess was right in later chapters. _

I woke up a little bit hung over and a little bit confused. It was like that moment between sleep and wakefulness, the interim between dream and reality, waking up strangely contented and carefree, unsure of where you are or how you got there. There's that vestige of emotion, lingering from the aftermath of my dreams. I felt the scratch of my dress under the covers as I shifted to a better position. Then reality hit me, I remember the party, the drinking, Peter… Alek. The curtains were pulled open, exposing the harsh sunlight on my face. I groaned, my head was throbbing painfully.

"Come on, get up. Valentina wants an audience with you."

I squinted, Alek was leaning against the window frame with his arms crossed. He didn't look like his normal arrogant and cheery self.

"You told her?" I groaned.

"I had to," he simply stated, shrugging. I pushed back my hair from my face and threw the covers off of me. My muscles were screaming in pain as I shifted a sitting position. I was still wearing the same dress and my heels seemed to have fallen off the side of the bed.

"I feel like shit," I muttered, slipping off the bed. My knees buckled, unable to take my full weight and I stumbled forward. Alek moved swiftly, anticipating my fall and steadied me.

"I'm alright." I waved him off, Geez, I hated feeling useless and weak, it was pathetic.

"You have the pride of a Mai but not the tolerance of one," he said smirking, only letting me go once he was sure I could stand on my own. Ignoring the last comment, I made my way to my bathroom to get ready. After maybe half an hour, I managed to get changed and make myself look presentable, applying a generous amount of under-eye concealer. Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything about my bloodshot eyes. I stuffed a pair of sunglasses into my bag.

"What took you so long?" Alek asked, watching me as I exited the bathroom.

"A long struggle with a very stubborn dress," I replied as I tied my hair back into a messy ponytail.

He came up beside me as we were exiting the door.

"Well, you could have always asked me for help," he said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. I attempted to push him over but only succeeding in moving him a few inches to the right. Honestly, I was glad he wasn't acting any different because of last night. We walked in silence for the rest of the way to Jasmin's room. Once we reached there, he let himself and me into the room. Jasmin was already waiting by the counter for our entrance and proceeded to scold me.

"You could have been killed, Chloe! Not informing any of us on your whereabouts, going with almost complete strangers to a nightclub without any of us…"

I tuned out after a while, knowing fully well that Valentina will give me a similar, if not the same, speech. Alek and I sat down on the living room couch, far enough away to give me some breathing space. He reclined back on the sofa, putting his shoes up on the coffee table and stretched out his arms along the length of the backing. Then as if remembering something, he got up and went to the kitchen. Jasmin was still ranting when he returned with a mug.

"Here, this should help with your hangover," he said in a low voice. Jasmin, unfortunately, still heard and got all riled up again.

"You drank? You're under-aged, do you know…"

I tuned out again, thanking Alek silently for all those extra training sessions. I peered into the depths of the cup; the concoction had a strong odor and a brownish colour to it. I think I could see fiberous pulp floating in the liquid. I wasn't eager to take a sip any time soon.

"What's in this thing?" I said, scrunching up my nose as I brought it closer to my face.

"My own secret recipe," he replied, winking at me. I looked at him suspiciously but took a sip anyway. It had a sort of sour, bitter taste to it, the thick consistency made it much harder to swallow. I made a face but managed to drink half of the mug before I felt like throwing up. At least I felt a little more lucid.

'Chloe! Are you even listening to me? The conference starts today and you look horrible!" Jasmin continued.

"Yeah, last night. Definitely not one of my brightest ideas," I mumbled. Alek laughed and Jasmin shot him a glare. Just then Valentina emerged from the hallway, silencing Jasmin. Alek quickly put down his feet from the table and sat up. Valentina eyed him but he only shot her an innocent smile.

"That's alright Jasmin, let me take it from here," she said smoothly, seating herself at the sofa chair across from me.

"Tell me exactly what happened last night."

So I explained everything to her. How Peter invited me over, the Mai he introduced me to, how he tried to kiss me…. All of it, minus the Alek situation. I could tell that Alek was relieved that I didn't mention our "disagreement" last night.

"But what I don't understand is that he _knows _I'm Mai. _Why _would he try to kill himself by kissing me?" I asked.

"Wait, wait, so Peter's a _human?_" Jasmin asked in disbelief.

"Yes, humans and Mai have always worked together but it is much rarer in today's world," Valentina explained, "Gregor Djokovic is one of the few Mai in the United States, that I know, who works with humans. Yet I can't seem to figure out _why _exactly Peter would attempt to kiss you."

"Unless he was just drunk out of his mind, or drugged," Alek suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

"Did you notice anything strange about his behaviour, Chloe?" Jasmin asked, looking at me.

"Besides the fact that he tried to kiss me?" I pointed out, raising my eyebrows, "Um… well, he was very determined and persistent, almost violent. I only met him for a few minutes but he didn't seem to be that type of guy…"

"Anut V, I think I have an explanation," Alek said, sitting up, "Maybe he was bewitched."

The room went silent.

"Bewitched as in compelled? Like a spell was placed on him or something?" I asked, confused. Night vision, super-hearing, empath abilities, claws, and now bewitching people? This is all getting out of hand.

"Only certain Mai have the ability, it's a lot like being an empath. There are some Mai that have the ability to bewitch humans. They essentially seduce the human, stripping away their freedom of choice. However, its influence is only temporary. It used to be that only warrior Mai had this ability, in order to protect the pride from unwanted humans but in all my years, I've never met a bewitcher," Valentina said, shaking her head.

"Did you see the bewitcher?" Jasmin asked, turning to look at me.

I tried to remember but everything was hazy, like a curtain was pulled over my memory or something. It could've been the alcohol, the confusion, tiredness or maybe the hangover. I mentally scanned the faces in the crowd, rerunning last night through my mind, paying special attention to their behaviour – or what I remember of their behaviour. Then it clicked.

"There was a Mai at the booth that I was introduced to. She seemed a little too cozy with Peter. I didn't think that it was odd at first but now I think about it, it was kind of strange. She had um… brunette hair, a really good physique…" I pursued my lips, trying to remember as much as I could, "I remember her heels, they were really high."

Alek choked back a laugh.

"Go on, Chloe. Try to remember as much as you can," Valentina coaxed patiently.

"Her name was… Catarina I think, I can't quite remember her last name. I'm sorry," I apologized, "But I remember that the names of a couple other Mai, Nicky and Lilah, they said they were from Brazil. There was another man, he was big and husky looking, I think he came with Catarina."

Jasmin stood up quickly when she heard the twin's names being called.

"Do you know them?" I asked her and her expression pretty much said it all. She looked disgusted, almost shocked.

"Yeah, they've got a reputation… not a very good one," She said vaguely, scowling to herself.

"Their particular Brazilian pride is notorious for their illicit behaviour," Alek explained casually, "They don't form a very _stable _relationship with the humans, let's say."

"They prefer to think of humans as their inferiors. Their negative attitude towards humans is not explicit to only their pride; many Mai share the same feelings whether of fear, hatred, disgust – through the many years of persecution by the humans, particularly the Order," Valentina said, a shadow crossing over her face. I nodded.

My parents are human, my closest friends are human… I grew up _thinking _I was human for my whole life, until now. Every time this human verses Mai race dilemma pops up, I feel a little awkward and uncomfortable, unsure on how I'm supposed to act, what I'm supposed to do. I don't even know my own pride's opinions on humans. I've never seen Alek or Jasmin ever demean humans but neither have I ever seen them become close to one either. Alek has a few human friends, the jocks, I don't know how much he considers them friends though, maybe it's all just a cover up. Or maybe he likes the attention he gets from it – not that he needed any help with that. Jasmin, on the other hand is a different story, I rarely see her around school unless I bump into her in the hallways but during lunch, she normally isn't seen. They are all nice enough to my friends, except for Alek – for some reason he really despises Paul, maybe it's because he finds him annoying.

"I'll try to find out who this Catarina girl is and see where we can go from there," Jasmin said, pulling out her cell phone from her pocket and excusing herself from the conversation.

"But why would they want to bewitch Peter?" I asked, still confused.

"I don't know but we certainly cannot ignore the ongoing conference, perhaps it was a ploy to reduce your influence in the votes," Valentina suggested.

"What do you mean?" I was still skeptical.

"Despite the negative views of many Mai on humans, killing humans on whim isn't highly acceptable. We don't have a universal code for Mai laws and behaviour but-"

"Killing a human in a nightclub by kissing him will definitely not earn you any points," Alek piped in, "but this Catarina girl must be affiliated with another potential or else what kind of motive does she have? She may have been contracted by most likely her own leader,"

"Or are among one of those against the Uniter and, in particular, your affiliation with humans," Valentina said. She looked at me with remorse, "I'm sorry, Chloe but unfortunately the instilled opinions of hundreds of Mai will not change overnight. As you already know, being the Uniter comes with both good and bad luggage."

"I've yet to experience the good," I murmured, more to myself though I knew the others could hear. There was a brief pause before anyone spoke again.

* * *

><p>"Well, at least you'll have a ton of suitors. I'm sure all the most eligible bachelors that the Mai can offer will be begging for your hand," Amy piped up after I relayed all the information of the last few days, "handsome, smart, rich, talented…"<p>

I giggled. "Amy, you're drooling again," I joked, holding the cordless phone using my shoulder as I tried balancing on one leg. I finally managed to pull the pencil skirt up to my waist.

"A little bit unfair, you already have Alek you know," she said, I could already see her pouting.

"A little perspective please, Amy. Finding out that you're the Uniter of the Mai isn't exactly my cup of tea – it's really not as easy as it looks."

"Oh, yeah there's that too. _And_ you've got Brian."

I bit my lip at that. Brian has called me thrice in the last two days – all missed calls. I keep telling myself that I'll get around to calling him back but I haven't really been up to it yet. This Alek-Brian thing has really messed me up good.

"Oh, wait. Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned that-"

"Actually Amy, I think that I have to call you back later, my conference is in twenty minutes and I'm not ready yet," I interrupted her.

"Alright, good luck! Call me later!" Amy hung up the phone and I let mine drop to the end of the bed.

The buttons on my blouse where still undone when Alek barged onto the room.

"Alek!" I screamed, turning around to quickly button up the front. He quickly spun himself around the other direction for modesty's sake.

"There's such a thing as knocking you know," I reminded him, turning around to face him, arms across my chest. His cheeks were still flushed red when he turned back to face me and ruefully scratched the back of his head. For once, he was speechless – no witty, arrogant remark, no smirk, nothing. I laughed, earning me a very confused look. I shook my head.

"Nothing," I said before he asked. Impulsively, I walked towards him. He stepped back when I got too close.

"Easy there, I'm just fixing your tie, idiot," I said laughing, reaching up to grab the messily done tie. I unwound it, evened out the lengths and proceeded to tie it. I could tell he was staring intensely at my face. I tried ignoring it but it's kind of hard when a guy had more-or-less confessed his feelings for you.

"How do you know how to do this?" He asked me, his gaze still trained on my face.

"You mean tying a tie?"

He nodded in response.

"Well if you have a best friend who is utterly hopeless at tying ties, it's kind of a given that his two best friends learn for him," I said, smiling as I finished up the tie for him, straightening it out.

"He's kind of resorted back to clip-on ties and bow ties now since Amy refuses to help him and I've just been… busy…" I continued, absentmindedly tugging on the already finished tie. I could see the smirk on his face now. I blushed, embarassed for lingering too long. I took a step back and let him examine the tie.

"Pretty good. I thought it was just an excuse to get close to me," he said winking. I laughed. It sounded a little strained and I think he could tell. I excused myself to go and get shoes from my closet. Once I was ready, we headed out together to the conference room.

"How you feeling?" He asked me.

"I've been better. Thanks for that hangover fix by the way. It actually worked."

He simply shrugged.

"No problem."

We finally arrived at the conference room. Almost everybody was seated then I noticed that Peter was missing. I pulled Alek quickly well away from the conference room door before anyone can see us through the window.

"Hey, hey you alright? Peter's not in the room," Alek asked concerned.

"That's the problem. I think that he _might've _sort of kissed me last night," I whispered to him, keeping it low enough that only he could hear. He went silent.

"Do you think I killed him?" I was panicking again, I promised myself that this wouldn't happen again.

"Look, look, calm down. Don't come to conclusions so fast, maybe the bewitcher took him or maybe he's still knocked out in that alley. Even if he is dead, _it's not your fault_," he said, trying to reassure me. He pulled me to his chest. It didn't feel awkward, it didn't feel romantic or too forward. It was just comfortable and at this point it just felt right. I buried my head into his shoulder but I didn't cry. I focused on my breathing and his heartbeat until I could feel myself calm down. I pulled away after a while.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," I said, more to reassure myself than him.

Alek just nodded and led me cautiously into the conference room. The whole room practically turned to see the entrance of the Uniter, or well me. Unfortunately, I'm probably not what they are looking for in a Uniter. I felt myself getting nervous, not that I wasn't before. I scanned the long conference table for somewhere to sit; the only three places left was one on the right and left of the head and one in the middle. Honestly, I would prefer the less conspicuous seat but I was fairly certain that that was Alek's. They were still looking and for some reason I felt like I should introduce myself. Fear gripped my throat and I could feel my heartbeat reverberating throughout my whole body. I could practically feel it in my toes and fingers already. Djokovic stood and shook my hand.

"Uniter, nice to see you again," he said. He pulled out my seat for me. I managed a thanks. The table's attention was now on Djokovic.. The empty seat next to him stared back at me. I scanned the faces around the table, Valentina caught my eye and gave me a small, reassuring smile. I returned the smile. Alek was next to her, his eyes trained on me. A few officials I recognized but didn't remember their names.

"I am very pleased to welcome and introduce the Uniter, Chloe King," he said, gesturing to me. I froze. Am I supposed to bow? Stand up? The only thing that I managed to do was a pathetic little wave at all the officials. I gave myself a mental face-palm for that.

"If anyone has any questions for our Uniter, feel free to speak up," he said then turned to me, "I speak for everyone when I say that we do wish to get to familiarize ourselves with our Uniter and get to know you more intimately."

I suppose that it was the change of atmosphere or the fact that more than two dozen Mai officials sat before him, which made him appear more civil and welcoming. One female official towards the back of the conference table raised her hand, commanding the attention of everybody. Without needing to be called on, she began to speak.

"I realize that you are relatively new to the ways of the Mai and our culture, seeing as you were brought up by a human parent in a human society. However, how do you think that has influenced you in your stance concerning the relationship between humans and Mai."

I could feel hands tremble as I frantically tried to think of something sophisticated or intelligent to say. The pressure really is on when two dozen Mai officials from around California and from around the world have their eyes trained on your every move.

"Um… well…"

Really having been a member in a high school debate team hasn't prepared me for _this _in the least.

"Though, as you've pointed out, I'm still in the process of familiarizing myself with the culture of the Mai. It's probably not only that but I have difficulty sometimes accepting the fact that I _am, _in fact, Mai, and not human – mostly because of my upbringing. I still am close to my human friends as I am now to my Mai pride and companions. Frankly, if I may be so bold to say, I don't see much of a difference between the two races."

A few murmured comments made its way around the table. I gulped, scared that I might say the wrong thing. Then I realized. _I'm _the Uniter, _not _them.

"Sure we have perhaps more knowledge in some respect, superhuman endurance, strength, and abilities but it doesn't change the fact that we feel as humans do. We all form relationships, we all try to find our purpose in this world. From what I've seen so far, this war between humans and Mai is non-existent. I think that it's about time that the human race and the Mai reestablish that connection we once had for each other and make peace."

That was probably the cheesiest conclusion that I've ever come up with in all my speeches but it did earn me some applause from around the table. I made eye contact with the woman who addressed me.

"I hope this answers your question."

She smiled lightly and nodded, jotting notes down on paper.

"If in fact this war is non-existent, why are we still faced with persecution by the Order?" Another official asked.

"The Order is only a minority of the human race. Most of the population isn't aware of our existence. Our feud, at most is between us and the Order."

"Some may say that this is an impossible task, made much more difficult by the fact that you are still young and naïve. How do you suppose you will be able to bring about this change?"

"Not quickly, that's for sure." I replied, smiling. This earned me a few chuckles

"I have much to figure out and I don't have a concrete plan at the moment, and I doubt that I ever will. Hopefully, one day, I am able to slowly and gradually change this perspective that so many Mai hold. Humans are not to be feared, loathed or disdained collectively as a race and that's what I want to make Mai realize one way or another."

"Unfortunately, we shall save this discussion for another time as we have other pressing issues to attend to," cut in Djokovic, "Thank you, Uniter for sharing your opinion with us and indeed they were very bold statements to say. Courageous to for a teenager to share in front of a room of officials here today, that surely must have been a nerve-wracking task." He smiled at me as if sharing an intimate joke. I returned the smile. Involuntarily, I turned towards the door as it just swung open to allow Peter through the door.

"Sorry for my tardiness, everybody. I seemed to have been caught up in all the traffic."

_Reviews make me so so so happy so please do. Even anonymous ones are greatly appreciated, I know that clicking that review button just below me is such a hassle but please, please take the time to give me some feedback. Is this plotline too cheesy, too simple. Would you like to see more Amy, Paul, Jasmin? I know a lot of you were asking for more Jasmin but sorry I couldn't incorporate her as much here but I promise not to have too many Alek appearances as they may get a little overused. So guesses anyone? Did Chloe really kiss Peter? If she did, why did he survive? Who's behind all this?_


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